Dispensers for fluids such as correction fluids, inks, paints, and the like are generally well-known. A typical fluid dispenser for a correction fluid comprises a bottle and a cap for sealing the bottle. The cap often includes an applicator such as a plurality of brush bristles attached to an end of a stem projecting from an underside of the cap. The applicator can generally be positioned in contact with a fluid contents of the bottle, and therefore used to apply the contained fluid to a substrate.
Similar fluid dispensers have been incorporated into the bodies of writing instruments. For example, U.S. Design Pat. Nos. 321,717 and 396,884, U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,327, and JP 2-158399 disclose writing instruments including a writing point and a fluid reservoir generally opposite the writing point. In each of these writing instrument systems, there is not a defined fluid passageway from the fluid reservoir to the writing point. Therefore, the writing point and the applicator can not both be used to apply the contained fluid to a substrate.
Fluid dispensers having a defined fluid passageway from the fluid reservoir to the writing point are also known. In such known fluid dispensers, both the applicator and the writing point can be used to apply the fluid contained in the fluid reservoir to a substrate. However, after inverting the fluid dispenser, for example, to use the writing point to make a written mark, the fluid can collect at locations along the fluid passageways as it travels from and returns to the fluid reservoir. The collected fluid can dry and clog the fluid passageways, thereby making such fluid dispensers generally inadequate for consumer use. The aforementioned clogging problem is particularly exacerbated when such fluid dispensers contain viscous fluids that readily dry to provide a solid residue, such as correction fluids.